Rail-joint.



No. 830,754. PATENTBD SEPT.11, 1906. N. P. WALTERS.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION PIIiIED T15R23. 1906.

WIZNLSSES: [NVENTOR W A TTORNE Y5 NELS P. WVALTERS, OF FORT MADISON,IOWA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

Application filed February 23, 1906. Serial No. 802,552.

IO ting ends of rails are prevented from sagging one below the other soas to cause pounding by car-wheels passing over the oints.

A still further object is to provide supporting means which will notinterfere with the I expansion or the contraction of the rails and whichis adapted to be used in connection with fish-plates of the usualconstruction.

I/Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of ablock or key adapted to be inserted in the registering recesses in theends of two abutting rails so as to hold said ends against independentvertical movement. The key has forked ends adapted to embrace the websof the rails, so as to prevent 2 5 lateral displacement of the key. Thesides of the key are preferably rounded, so as to lit snugly within theinner faces of the fish plates.

The invention also consists of certain other 3 novel features ofconstruction and combina tions of parts, which will be hereinafter morefully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings are shown the preferred forms of theinvention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rail-joint withthe fish-plate removed. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section through the joint.Fig. 3 is a transverse section therethough. Fig. 4 is a detail View ofthe 4 key, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of key.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 1 are rails havingrectangular recesses 2 in the ends of the webs thereof, said recessesbeing of less width than the height of the webs, so that a considerableportion of the web remains between each recess and the head of the rail.

When two rails are placed together with 5 their ends in contact, therecesses therein will register, and these recesses are adapted toreceive a supporting-key 3, which is equal in length to the combinedlengths of the two recesses in which it is located. Extending from theends of the key are parallel arms 4,

forming forks adapted to embrace the webs and hold the key againstdisplacement. The side faces of the key and arms are rounded, so as tofit within the concavities formed within the inner faces of the ordinaryfish-plates 5. These "fish-plates are adapted to be bolted to the railsin the usual manner and will spring inward at their ends to a certainextent, thereby acting as nut-locks, because they will bind upon thenuts 6 upon the bolts 7 and prevent them from being unscrewed unlesssubjected to more than the ordinary pressure. IVhile the key hereindescribed is especially adapted for use in connection with rails havingbeveled overlapping ends, it can also be employed with rails having theordinary square ends. Moreover, instead offorking the ends of the keythe arms l may be dispensed with, as shown at 8. With this construction,however, the key is liable to fall out of position while the-fish-plates are being secured and therefore the key utilizing arms 4will be found more desirable. As the recesses are not disposed close tothe heads of the rails there is no danger of the rail breaking whensubjected to extreme downward pressure, but instead the key will breakand leave the rail uninured.

I/Vhat is claime is- 1. In a rail-joint the combination with abuttingrails having registering recesses in the ends of their webs; of asubstantially rectangular key seated within the recesses and havingrounded exposed faces, and fishplates bolted upon the webs and embracingsaid rounded faces.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with abutting rails havingregistering recesses in the webs thereof; of a substantially rectangularkey seated within the recesses and having forked ends embracing thewebs, the exposed faces of the key being rounded.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination with abutting rails havingregistering recesses in the webs thereof; of a substantially rectangularkey seated within the recesses and having forked ends embracing thewebs, the exposed faces being rounded, and fish-plates screwed uponopposite faces of the webs and embracing the rounded faces of the key.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixcdmy signature in .the presence of two witnesses.

NELS P. WALTERS. I/Vitnesses:

E. O. WEBER, VEDA BUoIioLz.

